For people who like music, but don't like the effort of actually going out and buying it, the 'Now' series is indispensable. It's become its own brand name, and now even America has got in on the act (they're at Volume 5). This is clearly not the place for innovation or mavericks, but serves a purpose, sells billions and keeps the kids quiet (what with it being handily released around school holidays).
The usual suspects are here - Steps, Ronan, Kylie, S Club 7, Atomic Kitten, Robbie, Texas, a couple of Spices - this time sandwiched in by some of 2001's new bunch such as Gorillaz, Nelly Furtado, Chocolate Puma and the inevitable inclusion of Hear'Say who fit in perfectly amongst the conveyor-belt action as programmed. Knock in some Shaggy, Britney, Coldplay, Bob The Builder and U2 and you have another winner.
Suprises? Few and far between, there's an absence of Dog Festival, you can be amongst those other than Radio 2 listeners to hear Eva Cassidy, marvel at the running order that sees Papa Roach's shouty old bollocks followed by Planet Funk's screechy 'Chase The Sun' and feel uneasy at the general unpleasantness that is Kaci's 'Paradise', Dario G's Cranberries cover (rather than polish a turd, they opt to fall face first into it) and Stereophonics' latest tunes.
A mixed bag, then. But is it yours?
